Floor system and connections therefor



Jan. 17, 193 G. F. KC/DTRBATY FLOOR SYSTEM AND CONNECTION THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 5, 1935 INVENTOR. BUY F. KUTRBATY ATTORNEYS Jam, 1?, 1939..

G. F. KOTRBATY Original Filed April 5, 1935 FLOOR SYSTEM AND CONNECTION THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 o I, l 143 241 at; 3 2 K %40 253 259, k 144 24Db 252 0,0,0 0:09,

- INVENTOR BUY F. KOTRBAT Y BY ATTORNEY) Jan. 17,; 1939. c; F, KOTRBATY FLOOR SYSTEM AND CONNECTION THEREFOR Original Filed April 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. BUY F. KUTRBATY ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR SYSTEM AND CONNECTIONS THERE-F Original application April 5, 1935, Serial No. 14,808. Divided and this application March 11,

1936, Serial N0. 68,157

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction and. more particularly to novel self-supporting floor units having semitruss-form spacing and supporting sections and to the method of assembling same as well as to the. building structures embodying the same.

This application is a division of my application Scr. No. 14,808, filed April 5, 1935, for Building construction and structural elements therefor.

Forcertain structuralpurposes it is desirable to be able to erect building structures with a minimal amount of structural cementitious plastic material, and this is accomplished by forming a skeleton metallic structure of novel and improved structural elements in new and structurally eflicient combinations and self-supporting trussed units for floor structures whereby a minimum amount of metallic skeleton material is made use of without involving the loss of structural strength in building structures embodying the same. The novel self-supporting truss-form combination floor and ceiling units herein may be readily assembled with other like units toform complete floor structures and systerns.

It is a feature of novelty of the present invention to provide a self-supporting structural unit building member, and particularly adapted for use as floor and roof members.

It is another feature of novelty of the-present invention to provide such building units with truss-form side supports and integral floor and ceiling panels.

A further feature of novelty of the. present invention resides in the provision of truss-form spaced and supported grid building units with spaced panel surfacings and/or surfacing supports and with transverse strain'and weave resistant members associated therewith or incorporated therein.

It is-alsoa feature of novelty of the present inventionto provide-novel connecting means for securing self-supporting grid units with trussform load-bearing: sections to structural vertical building supports.

Theseand-other desirable features and advantages of .-the present invention will be describedin the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, certain preferred embodimentsbeing shown by way of example only, for, since the'underlying prineiplesmaybe incorporatedin other specific structural members and forms, it is'not intended tobelimited to the ones here shown and described, except as such limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, of which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of afirst floor, base- 5 ment and wall connection, truss-form self-supporting floor unitsbeing shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line -22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an interior wall and floor joint showing method of securing trussform self-supporting floor units to stud members as by means of hinge joint connections;

Fig.4 is a vertical section of an upper floor i15 and outside wall joint with hinge connection, the truss-form self-supporting floor unit being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a'horizontal section taken on. line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and showing the abutment of half truss elements of abutted building units to form floor-supporting trusses;

Fig. 6is an elevation of a structural unit bracing member;

Fig. '7 is aplan view ofthe member shown in Fig.6;

Fig/Sis a horizontal section of a wall-floor joint construction showing abutted half-truss elements with transverse stabilizing members and hinge-joint connections; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a wall construction at a floor joint showing details of structural brac ing and spacing members.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and with particular reference to the showings of Figs. lto 5, the floor unitsZDU are shown connected to wall support H0 in a manner to be described more'in detail hereinafter.

The building walls, designated generally by the numeral I00, may be formed of a plurality of spaced supporting or stud members H0, supported on structural foundation members I20, which are adapted to be secured to and associated with basement foundation walls I30. The floor membersZOD of the floors may be supported from the studding members by suitable supporting members designated generally by the numeral MB. The floor members or self-supporting structural units 20!] may include floor and ceiling panel members H5, 2H5, respectively, spaced apart and secured to and'by half-trussform members, designated generally by the numeral 250. The several floor units and associate'd'truss sections are adapted to be secured to the supporting members I40 and [40a by suitable hinge-joint connection members, designated generally by the numeral 248.

The basement, Wall and floor connection shown in Fig. 1 will be described generally for the purpose of illustrating the application of the floor units herein to such types of building construction. As shown, the foundation wall I39 may be made in the usual manner and may comprise a concrete or other basement wall in any suitable fashion. Mounted on the basement foundation and suitably aligned, is a starting and aligning channel and supporting and bearing member I20. This channel I20 may be secured in place as by means of hook bolts I3I passing therethrough and holding same in place by means of nuts I32. The bolts may be anchored in the concrete or basement foundation by means of anchored members I33, which may be rods or the like, and which are adapted to pass through the eye or hook of the bolt I3I. A suitable number of bolt-and-nut members may be embedded in the foundation wall and the starting wall members I20 secured thereto in desired alignment.

A cementitious plastic surfacing I34 may be applied to the exterior of the foundation wall or members, although it will, of course, be understood that any suitable surfacing may be applied.

The walls I00 of the buildings contemplated under the present invention may comprise supporting members I I Ii forming composite studding mounted on and secured by and to the starting and supporting channel members I20.

The composite studding IIil of the present invention comprises a pair of opposed vertical structural supporting members III of generally rectangular or cylindrical shape, or any other desired configuration, which members are slotted longitudinally and are preferably provided with inturned flanges inwardly of the slots, all as indicated at H2, whereby to provide increased stiffening effect in the members as well as to provide locking elements for wall panel constructions to be described more in detail hereinafter. The stud-like or stanchion members or sections III are spaced apart and held by spacers or separators I I4, which may be butt-welded to the faces H3 of the members III, as indicated generally at II 4a. This construction gives a generally lattice or ladder-like construction and structural member which is rigid in all its parts. The faces or portions H3 of the stanchion members III may be bowed inwardly along their length, as indicated at Il3a, to increase the stiffness and rigidity of the parallel vertical elements. In manufacture, a pair of members or vertical supporting elements III and appropriate spacers IM, may be suitably mounted, in spaced parallel relation, in a jig and the whole electrically welded as by butt-welding, or they may be welded by hand, as by electric arc welding or gas welding, or brazed. It will, of course, be appreciated that other mechanical methods of securing the members together in fixed relationship, may be made use of. Among such. methods may be indicated the slotting of the sections I I3 of members III and the providing of members II 4 with tongued ends adapted to fit in and engage the slots formed in sections IIS. Bolts or rivets may be used to effect the same results, but require greater time for assembly.

To permit the joining and supporting of floor constructions 2858 to the studding members II ii at desired floor levels or heights, floor supporting structural members I40 are provided.

As shown in the drawings, the composite hinge floor joint construction, which is a feature of novelty of the present invention, comprises a pair of yoke members use and 246 which are adapted to be locked together by pin members I 64, as will be described more in detail hereinafter.

The yoke members I40 comprise parallel sides MI with a base Hi2 therebetween and co-extensive therewith, forming a generally U-shaped member with the sides. At their ends the sides MI terminate in hinge sections or portions M3 spaced from each other and adapted to. receive other like hinge members 2% of the floor connection members, the two pairs of hinge members being held together and locked by pins Hi l. The yoke or spaced floor supporting members Hill are permanently secured to the studding sections I I I of the members I I I! in any desired manner, as by means of spot-welds, rivets, bolts and nuts, all as indicated generally at M5. The connection member or members 250 which, while forming a part of the floor supporting members, form a component part of the composite hinge joint construction herein, comprise a generally U-shaped member having sides 24H, a base porticn 2 32, and end flanges 263 which are outturned and terminate in coiled, hinge sections 24 3. The members me will secure and hold plate members 2496 of floor supporting members generally. These plate members are permanently secured to the connection members 2% and held in place as by means of bolts, welds, or rivets, all indicated generally at 249d.

For structural uses involving central wall constructions, the members Mil, as designated more particularly at MM and shown in Figs. 1 to 5, are provided with a plurality of sets of looped hinge fingers M3.

The floor constructions, designated generally by the numeral 2%, may comprise one or more types of floor supporting systems as herein described, secured to the wall or studding members HQ, and may be provided with floor and ceiling panel members, with or without associated structural plastic surfacings or coverings.

In the semi-truss floor units here shown and designated generally by the numeral 259, the web or side sections 25!] form truss sections having top and bottom compression and tension members 25I, 252, which are generally similar in shape and are formed of symmetrical, abutted members having flanges 253, web sections 25 and angularly disposed flanges 255 terminating in reentrant channel members 256 having edge portions 25'! adapted to grip and secure ceiling and floor panel members.

The sections 256 of abutted members form look ing keyways 258 adapted to receive and lock cementitious plastics inserted therein. The lattice truss elements or pins 259 of the member 255 are formed of sheet or plate members conformed to the sections 253 of the head and tension members, as indicated at 253a, and are provided with longitudinal blisters 259a adapted to serve as longitudinal reinforcing and stiffening sections. The members 259, in addition, terminate in sections 25%, and are adapted to engage and grip the web sections 254 of the compression and tension members of the truss and may be permanently secured thereto as by means of welding or brazing, all as indicated generally at 25%. This improved, composite truss construction permits the use of preformed self-supporting grid members having top and bottom panel sections spaced apart and secured by-end sections, including the truss members. This particular truss construction being made of symmetrical halves, each half may be utilized in a grid member or unit and abutted grids secured together to form flooring sections. For this purpose the separate truss halves may have their component parts integrally secured together as indicated above, and the locking together of the floor surfacing to the abutted truss elements is accomplished and secured by the keying effect afforded by cementitious or other hardenable plastics filled into the keying sections 258. As above noted, the invention also comprehends a permanent looking or integral securing of the truss halves together to form the integral truss member,

The prefabricated units described immediately above, will, it will be seen, comprise top and bottom floor and ceiling panel members of suitable material joined to and spaced from each other by web members formed of halves of composite truss members. These half truss sections or truss elements forming the sides of the structural floor units as with units having joist sections, when abutted in operative relationship with other like or companion sections, form therewith composite truss members, which, as indicated above, may be permanently secured together and hardenable cementitious plastics placed in the top and bottom keyways of the composite member .to lock surfacings thereto. End connection plate 24% are provided at the ends of the truss sections and are secured to the top and bottom chord members in any desired manner, as by welding or other equivalent means. To secure the composite grid members in place the connection members 245i, above de scribed, may be formed of half members Z tGa secured to the plates 24% as by welding, the sections 2M being welded to the members 24%, or riveted thereto, the rivets being flush with the surfaces of the members. In this construction the base portion 242 of the usual yoke members will be omitted. With the construction just described composite flooring and ceiling members are formed, with the flooring and ceiling panels secured by and to the web sections, which in turn include truss features and. the hingejoint constructions referred to generally hereinabcve.

Referring again to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, novel structural members are disclosed for increasing the structural rigidity of the floor units, the walls and superstructure generally and for maintaining a desired accurate alignment and spacing of the several parts. In these figures there is disclosed a spacing and bracing member 28% adapted to prevent weaving of the several parts of the superstructure without involving any fractional displacement from the perpendicular of the vertical structural members as well as displacement from the horizontal of the horizontal structural members. This member 238 comprises a generally flattened X-shaped member having arms 28l formed with flanges or edges 282 and terminating in hinge sockets 288 adapted to engage and mate with other hinges I43 and 2M hereinabove described. These members may be die-formed or forged to give a desired structural rigidity and toughness. The legs or sections 28l of the member 23!! may be given any desired curvilinear configuration to secure a maximum of strength with a minimum of material. Thus, it is believed, the opposing strains on bothsides of these members are equalized by the particular configuration of the parts thereof, so that unbalanced forces are not set up in any parts thereof or in the associated building parts with which they are connected and/or form a part. As noted in the various figures above referred to, the members 2861 are spaced between and included in hinge-joint construction members and usually in such a manner that the hinge sections 283 thereof are included in and form a part of the joint-hinge construction and are held in place by the pin members 164. In use, these members, due to their construction and arrangement, will not only prevent weaving of parts in the superstructure and other parts of the structure, but in addition where used at floor levels with the hinge-joint-plate members ME and spaced between parallel studs as shown more in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, they will afford a proper and positive alignment of the upper portion of the stud members and key them or look them in a desired spacedv relation, thus enhancing and assuring the stability of the panel members 1-5.! without requiring the panel members to serve as structural building supporting members. This permits the use of extra light weight panelling materials which are not required to be load-bearing or stress supporting. These panel members may be locked in place in the studs, as previously described, the bracing and supporting members 28% being placed thereover and locked in position after the panellings have been secured in position. It will be noted, further, that due to the particular construction and arrange ment of the members 286 a desired and effective resistance to wind-stresses is imparted to the building or buildings in which these members are incorporated and serve for this purpose as wind-bracing members. Where the X-bracing and supporting members are associated with the floor units herein described, the resultant units combine a number of unique features, including universal stability and maximum load-carrying and stress-resisting capacity. These desirable features are all the more remarkable when it is considered that the weights of material required to secure such extraordinary results are very much lighter than those of standard members. The X-members may be welded or brazed onto the floor units or they may be set in place during assembly of the building or parts thereof.

It will now be appreciated that there have been provided improvements in building constructions, including novel structural supporting members and associated parts. These improvements also include floor units with truss-form integral supporting sections and X-bracing members. In addition, the novel self-supporting truss-form floor units are particularly adapted, in association with the novel wall structures and features described in the parent application hereof, and hereinabove identified, to form new building systems. The several structural members entering into the various building features are novel in design and function and provide, both alone and in the several combinations herein. disclosed, a desirable structural strength with a minimum of weight of material. In addition, the improvements of the present invention are particularly adapted for use in the design and erection of so-called dry house constructions in which the several parts are preformed and assembled in place upon a finished structure. although, as already indicated, the several parts and improvements herein can be associated and erected into building structures with the aid of the usual structural cementitious plastic materials, and the like, to form the usual so -called wet system structures.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of ex eluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1; An improved floor and ceiling building unit, comprising spaced flooring and ceiling members secured to and spaced apart by side truss elements having flange sections securing the said surfacing members, the said side-securing members being spaced apart and secured by pinor Web members so that each end forms a half truss element; end-connection plates secured to the ends of the half truss elements, said connection plates serving as leaves of a hinge-joint construction and being provided with hearing sections adapted to engage other like members and be locked thereto by pins passed therethrough; abutted half truss elements being adapted to form a composite load-bearing truss when abutted units are juxtaposed in operative relation.

2. In a construction of the type described in claim 1, and including a plurality of juxtaposed combination floor and ceiling units, the improvements comprising spacer members secured to the respective hinge elements of the units and between spaced wall stud members, the said spacers and walls and floor units being secured together in mutual, co-operative relationship of common hinge-joint constructions whereby to prevent weaving in the ends of the floor members and adjoining parts of abutting wall sections.

3. In a construction of the type described in claim 1, spacer members adapted to be secured to hinge-joints of wall and floor joints, and comprising generally X-shape members whose arms are of generally arcuate configuration, whereby to increase the structural strength of the section.

4. In a construction of the type described in claim 1, spacer members adapted to be secured to hinge-joints of wall and floor joints, and comprising generally X-shape members whose arms are flanged at their edges and are of generally arcuate configuration whereby to increase the structural strength of the section.

5. In self-supporting building units, improvements comprising half-truss members serving as spacers and side supports, including top and bottom rail sections, end-plate sections, and pin members between the rail sections, the pin members including longitudinal blisters and having end sections conformed to the rail sections and secured thereto.

6. In self-supporting building units, improvements comprising half-truss members serving as spacers and side supports, including top and bottom rail sections, end-plate sections, pin members between the rail sections, the pin members including longitudinal blisters and having endsections conformed to the rail sections and secured thereto, the said several rail sections and pin sections being made of sheet metal.

7. In self-supporting building units, improvements comprising combination truss-form spacers and side supports, including top and bottom rail sections, end-plate sections, and pin members between the rail sections, the'pin members including longitudinal blisters and having endsections conformed to the rail sections and secured thereto, the said several rail sections and pin sections being made of sheet metal, the rail sections being provided with channels defining auxiliary keyway sections and terminating in edge clips adapted to receive panelling members.

8. A semi-truss-form construction member including a pair of spaced rail members of uniform configuration, said rail members including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel-receiving-and-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of flat sheet metal construction having headings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured thereto, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein.

9. A semi-truss-form construction member including a pair of spaced rail members of uniform configuration, said rail members including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel-receiving-andsecuring sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of fiat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured to the web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein.

10. A semi-truss-form construction member including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members being of uniform shape and including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel-receiving-and-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of fiat sheet metal construction having headings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured thereto, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein, and plate members at the ends of the units and secured to the said rail sections.

11. A semi-truss-form construction member including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members being of uniform shape and including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panelreceiving-and-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of flat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured to the web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein, and plate members at the ends of the units and secured to the said rail sections.

12. A semi-truss-form construction member including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel-receiving-and-secur ing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of fiat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured to the web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein, and plate members at the ends of the units and secured to the said rail sections, the said plate members including hinged joint connection members.

13. Composite truss beams for buildings, including abutted truss-form half-beam members having a common configuration, the said halfbeam members including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members including a Web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panelreceiving-and-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of flat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet sections of the rails and being secured to the Web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein.

14. Composite truss beams for buildings, including abutted truss-form half-beam members of uniform construction, the said half-beam members including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members including a Web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel receivingand-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of fiat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet'sections of the rails and being secured to the web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein, and plate members at the ends of the units and secured to the said rail sections.

15. Composite truss beams for buildings, including abutted truss-form half-beam members of uniform construction, the said half-beam members including a pair of spaced rail members, said rail members including a web section having an outwardly extending foot on one edge thereof and a keyway section at the other edge thereof, said keyway sections terminating in beaded edges adapted to serve as panel-receiving-and-securing sections, pin members angularly disposed between the spaced rail members, the said pin members being of flat sheet metal construction having beadings conforming to and engaging the feet section of the rails and being secured to the web sections as by welding, the pin members being further characterized by longitudinal blisters forming stiffening sections therein, and plate members at the ends of the units and secured to the said rail sections, the said plate members including hinged joint connection members.

16. Chord elements for composite semi-truss beam members, the heads having continuous channels defining half-keyways, the edges of the head sections being bent to form panel-receivingand-securing means; and feet sections having angular flanged edges.

GUY F. KOTRBATY. 

